Apparatus for collecting



(No Model.)

S. D. MOKELVEY. APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING, GONGEN'I'RATING, ANDDISTRIBUTING SOUNDS.

fiiqlttozwmg @xwcmeaow UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

STETVART D. MCKELVEY, OF CANTON, OHIO.

APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING, CONCENTRATING, AND DISTRIBUTING SOUNDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 531,554, dated December25, 1894.

Application filed February 5,1894. Serial No. 499,156. (No model To allwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, STEWART D. McKEL- VEY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio,have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Collecting,Concentrating, and Distributing Sounds, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention has for its object to provide simple and efficient meansfor concentrating sound vibrations imparted to the air from any personand convey them to one or more diaphragm chambers through which thesound can be conducted to one or more phonographs.

To these ends the invention consists in certain novel features ofconstruction and new combinations of devices as hereinafter describedand claimed.

In the annexed drawings illustrating the invention-Figure 1 representsin partial 1ongitudinal section a view of a sound concentrator embodyingmy improvements. Fig. 2 is a face view of that side of a distributinghead which is arranged toward and in connection with the concentratingchamber. Fig. 3 is a view of a cook or valve for controlling the passageof sound waves through the apparatus. Fig. 4 is a view of a modifiedform of sound concentrator. Figs. 5 and 6 represent views of anothermodification in the form and construction of the concentrator.

Referring to Fig. 1, the numeral 1 designates the main chamber of asound concentrator, of a preferred form of construction, for receiving,concentrating and distributing sound, as will hereinafter more fullyappear. In this figure the source of sound is indicated as proceedingfrom the human voice. The three diverging lines 2, 3 and 4 indicate thedirection taken by certain sound waves pass ing straight through theopening 5 to the opposite or upper inner face of the main concentratingchamber 1 and striking said inner face at the points 2, 3 and t. In thetransmission of sound, as well as light, it is a well known fact thatthe angle of reflection is equal to the angle of incidence. Thus in thechamber 1 the sound waves after moving in the initial lines 2, 3 and 4:are reflected from the points 2, 3 and a at proper angles to theopposite or lower inner surface of the concentrator,-the secondary pointof incidence of one of these waves being shown at 2 ,and thence alongother lines the sound Waves are again reflected into and through afunnel shaped distributing head 0 that is attached to the reduced end ofthe concentrator. As shown in Fig. 1, other initial wave lines orvibrations, as 7, 8 and 9, are projected against the inner surface of anouter receiving chamber 10 which communicates through the opening 5 withthe main chamber 1 of the sound concentrator. These sound waves 7, 8 and9 are reflected into the chamber 1 and from side to side thereof, asshown,toward and through the distributing head 6 together with the soundwaves first mentioned. It is obvious that sound waves will be alsoprojected against the upper lip 11 of the outer funnel shaped chamber 10and reflected thence back to or near the point 11 adjacent to thedistributing head. To avoid confusing the drawings only a few of thelines indicating the direction of the sound waves are shown.

The main concentrating chamber 1 and the distributing head 6 arepreferably connected in such a manner as will permit the chamber 1 to bepartly rotated or turned from side to side as may be required for thepurpose of directing the outer funnel shaped receiving chamber 10 towardthe source of sound. The drawings show onlyone of many modes ofconstruction that may be conveniently adopted for connecting the mainchamber 1 and distributing head 6 so as to permit movement of eitherwith relation to the other. In the form of construction illustrated inFigs. 1 and 2 an annular flange 12 on the distributing head 6 isprovided with an elongated curved or segmental slot 13 to receive a pairof bolts that are fastened to a similar flange on the reduced end of themain chamber 1, the said bolts being provided on their outer ends withwashers and thumb-nuts l t, Fig. 1, to securely connect the chamber 1and head 6 in the position to which they may have been adjusted withrelation to each other.

The outeror receiving chamber 10 may have a flange 15 fitted closelyaround the inlet opening 5 of the main chamber 1 and riveted orotherwise secured to said main chamber.

The main chamber 1 and the funnel shaped receiver 10 may be made of anysuitable material such as hard rubber or japanned tin;

or any other appropriate material may be employed in their construction.

The distributing head 6 may be made of metal, as malleable iron, or anyother suitable material.

In Figs. 2 and 5 I have shown the distributing head 6 as having threeseparated or distinct openings 16,-though any other required number maybe provided,-for connection with tubes 17 Fig. 1 leading to separatediaphragm chambers 18, 19 and 20 of any suitable construction such asordinarily used in connection with or forming part of a phonograph. Theconducting tubes 17 if required to be rigid may be made of any suitablemetal but I prefer to have them composed of rubber tubing or similarflexible material to allow them to be extended or turned in any desireddirection according to the required po sition of adjustment of theconcentrator.

I may provide each conducting tube 17 with a cut off valve or cook 21,Fig. 3 of suitable construction. These valves or cocks may be located atany desirable points in the several tubes 17 or they can be placed inthe diaphragm chambers 18, 19 and 20 at the ends of said tubes, but Iprefer to arrange them as near to the distributing head 6 as possible.

Instead of the turning valve or cook shown in Fig. 3 I may employ slidevalves in the tubes 17 or in the head 6 or diaphragm cham' bers 18, 19and 20 for the same purpose, namely, to open or close communicationthrough these devices as may be required.

Fig. 4 illustrates a form of sound concentrator in which the mainchamber 1 serves also as a receiving chamber and communicates through amultiple and tubular distributing head 6 with the tubes 17 that lead tothe diaphragm chambers.

Another modification in the construction of the sound concentrator isshown in Figs. 5 and 6 consisting of a number of separate funnel shapedreceiving and concentrating chambers 1*, say twenty-four, more or less,surrounded by a flange 1 and connected in multiple series by means ofconverging tubes 6 with the opening 16 in a distributing head 6 whichcommunicates through suitable tubes with a number of diaphragm chambersin the manner already described. A concentrator of this form may beconnected straight to one phonograph or be connected up in series ormultiple series, as desired. If the source of sound be directly in frontthen all the funnels 1 would approximately receive the same volume ofvibrations but if the sound waves were stronger on one side than theother then those directly in front of the source of sound would, ofcourse, be most favorably located. Hence to properly convey anddistribute the sound I connect the funnels in series as shown in Fig. 5,preferably using flexible tubing 6 between the funnels 1 and thedistributing head 6 to conduct the sound waves. It will be apparent thatthe manner of arranging and connecting these funnels can be greatlyvaried and that by means of an appropriate arrangement of conductingtubes the sound can be distributed to a number of instruments at thesame time; or the concentrator may be employed to increase the volume ofsound transmitted to, say, two, three or four diaphragnis in aphonograph having a corre sponding numberot' recording styles andtablets, ribbons or cylinders.

For many purposes the simple form of concentrator shown in Fig. 1 ispreferable. If this concentrator were made excessively large each timethe sound is reflected it would produce an echo, but the concentratorbeing of medium size, say, for ordinary purposes about thirty inches indiameter at the larger part, the time between the incident wave and thereflected vibration will not be perceptible and by reflecting the wavesof sound in the manner described the amplitude of the vibrationsdelivered to the distributing head 6 will be greatly increased.

The concentrating chamber may, or may not, be mounted upon a permanentsupport, according to the desire of the user. Its size is such that itmay be readily held in the hand in any suitable position, either upon alevel with the head of the speaker, or above, or below the same. Whenheld upon a level with the mouth, or thereabout, the receiving chamber10 will be turned laterally, and if above or below the speakers head itwill be turned so as to point downward, or upward, respectively. If apermanent support be preferred, any simple form of frame will answer thepurpose, no special construction being essential.

The main concentrating chamber 1 is approximately ovoid in its generalform, its section being ellipsoidal, or nearly so, as shown in Fig. 1.

What I claim as my invention is 1. An apparatus for collecting anddistributing sound waves and increasing the amplitude of the vibrations,consisting of an approximately ovoid concentrating chamber for receivingand reflecting the sound waves and tubes connected with said chamber fordistributing the sound to a plurality of phonographs, substantially asdescribed.

2. In an apparatus for collecting, concentrating and distributing soundwaves, the combination of a diaphragm chamber, an approximately ovoidconcentrating chamber, a distributing head connected with theconcentrating chamber, and tubes for connecting the distributing headwith the diaphragm of a plurality of phonographs, substantially asdescribed.

8. In an apparatus for collecting, concentrating and distributing soundwaves, the combination of a concentrating chamber, a distributing head,and tubes that connect said chamber and head in series, substantially asdescribed.

4. In an apparatus for collecting, concentrating and distributing soundwaves, the

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combination of a concentrating chamber, an outer receiving chambercommunicating with the concentrating chamber near one end thereof, adistributing head connected with the outer end of the concentratingchamber, and tubes leading from said distributing head to conduct thesound waves to various points, substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus for collecting, concentrating and distributing soundwaves, the combination of aconcentrating chamber and a distributing headhaving an adjustable connection with each other, the said concentratingchamber being adapted to be rotated on said head to be adjusted towardthe source of sound, substantially as described.

6. In an apparatus for collecting, concentrating and distributing soundwaves, the combination of an approximately ovoid concentrating chamberhaving an inlet near its larger end, a distributing head connected withthe smaller or reduced end of said chamber, and a tube or tubes forconducting sound from said distributing chamber to one or more points,substantially as described.

7. In an apparatus for collecting, concentrating and distributing soundwaves, the combination of a concentrating chamber, tubes communicatingwith said chamber to conduct the sound to difierent points, and valvesfor controlling or cutting off the passage of sound through said tubes,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and aifixed my seal inpresence of two subscribing witnesses.

STEWART D. MGKELVEY. [r.. 5.]

Witnesses:

F. A. ZIMMER, GEO. O. MCKELVEY.

